Vulnerable [Suncoast Society] (Suncoast Society #29)(54)

Jesse took a risk and rose, scooting over a couple of seats to sit next to Eva, Laurel still tightly clinging to him. Maybe when faced with Tilly and the rest of the Suncoast Society, Eva wouldn’t start a war.

He hoped.

Tilly emerged from the bathroom five minutes later, dressed in jeans, flats and a blouse, and her hair neatly pulled back into a braid. “Much better,” she said as she sat down on Landry’s far side. “Sorry. I literally bolted out of the house when Jesse called me.”

Tilly leaned forward, reaching across the gap and resting her hand on Eva’s knee. “We are going to be here for all four of you. As long as it takes, whatever it takes. We have more friends on the way.” She paused and looked at Landry, who nodded. Then she returned her attention to Eva. “We’re going to get all four of you through this, I promise.”

He noticed how Tilly kept saying four. A little subtle psychological warfare.

Damn, he loved her. “I thought you were going back to LA tomorrow,” he said.

“Nope. I already called Leigh and told her I can’t. The gang sends their love.” She returned her attention to Eva. “Whatever Leo needs, whatever any of the four of you need, we’ll all make sure it’s taken care of.”

“What happened?” Jesse finally asked Eva. “When did it happen?”

“Not long after he left my house. FHP said that a guy was texting and blew through a red light.” She gave the details as she knew them. “I was actually trying to call Leo when the FHP officer answered his phone. Laurel forgot her pink sneakers at your place, and I was going to ask if one of you could bring them by tomorrow. It came up on Leo’s caller ID as an ICE number and…”

She looked down, shredding the tissue in her hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner. I was frantic, trying to find out what was going on and where they were taking him, and afraid to miss any calls. I didn’t have your number stored in my phone yet and I forgot it at the house.”

“What happened to the other guy?” Tilly asked. “The one who hit him?”

Eva glanced at Laurel, then back to Tilly, and grimly shook her head.

They didn’t need any clarification.

June and Scrye were actually the next arrivals, Laurel reaching for Aunt June and sobbing in her arms. Ed and Hope were through the door before Jesse could even introduce June and Scrye. Then Ross and Loren appeared, and others—everyone, it seemed. The entire core Suncoast Society group, or most of them.

Eva looked shell-shocked and turned to Jesse. By now, Laurel had also taken turns hugging Tilly, Ross, Scrye, Ed, Gilo, Abbey, and Tony. And even more of their friends had arrived.

“Who are all these people?” Eva whispered to Jesse.

He glanced around, trying to focus on breathing, on keeping an eye on Laurel and her emotional state. “They’re family, Eva. Every last one of them. And they’re damn good people.”

“But…the cookouts you guys have gone to with her? The people she talks about? These people?”

Jesse nodded. “Yep. This isn’t even all of them.” He turned to her. “Laurel told you they were our friends. They’re here because of us. For that man in there.” He couldn’t help the way his eyes teared up and he didn’t even try. “Please,” he whispered. “Don’t keep me from him.”

Eva started to say something when a female doctor came out to get her. With Laurel being cared for by her “aunts and uncles,” Tilly caught Jesse’s arm with one hand, and Eva’s with the other, and led the way as if she’d been officially appointed in charge.

Well, she had, by herself, and Jesse was damned fine with that unanimous decision.

The doctor spoke in low tones. “He’s going to remain intubated and sedated until we know for sure how he’s doing.”

Tilly took over, asking questions and getting medical jargon answers that Jesse had no idea what they were talking about. He felt some tiny measure of relief that Eva looked as lost as he felt.

They were led to an alcove with a sliding glass door, the curtains pulled. Jesse reached out and slipped an arm around Eva’s waist.

He didn’t even mind that Eva held onto him.

He wanted to drop to his knees and sob. Tubes, everywhere. Leo’s handsome face bruised, swollen. IVs, monitor leads—Jesse was afraid to even touch him.

A nurse stood by a rolling cart with a computer on it and was inputting notes. After a quick conversation with her, Tilly stood behind them, her arms around their shoulders, her head between theirs.

“Okay,” Tilly whispered. “I’m going to be honest, this is very touchy. He bled out during surgery to the point they lost his blood pressure and pulse and had to revive him, pump several units of blood and fluids into him, but they got him back. It’s too soon to know if there was any brain damage. He’s going to be in the hospital for…a while, at the very least. We’re looking at a couple of weeks, easy.”

Eva choked back a sob. “Is he going to…” She didn’t finish.

Tilly understood. “I can’t tell you if he’s going to make it, because they can’t tell me if he is. Best-case scenario, he heals up fine, no complications, and then he goes home. There can be bleeding, infections—but don’t focus on that. Focus on what is. He’s alive, now.”